Switch-throwing device.



G. SPENCER..

SWITCH THROWING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I9, 19H5` 2 SHEETS-SHEET i.

Patente' Jan. 29,1918.

l G. SPENCER. SWITCH THROWING DEVICE.v

g. APPLICATION P|LD SEPT. `1s, |916. Patented Jan. 29,191.8.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

SWITCH-THROWING Davies.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented aan. 2e, i918.

Application led vSeptember 19, 1916. Serial No. 120,989.

To all whom z't may concern.

Be it known that I, GARNET SPENCER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Madison, in the county of Oconee and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch- Throwing Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in that type of switch throwing mechanism adapted to be operated by suitable means carried by a train, and an object of the invention is the provision of novel and eilicient. locking mechanism designed to lock the switch either in opened or closed position, and adapted to be operated by theV train so as to admit of the switch throwing apparatus being operated.

Other objects will appear and be better understood from that embodiment of my invention of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the main track and siding and the switch, showing the switch throwing and locking mechanism applied thereto,

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken through one of the rails of the main line, and showing the locking mechanism for normally preventing movement of the switch operating bar,

Fig. 4 is a detail view of one of the trac is, showing the train-engaging member for releasing the locking mechanism shown in Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 4-4 or Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a car, showing the operating means for the switch throwing device associated therewith.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the letter A designates the maintrack, and B the siding, C the movable switch points which have connection with each other by means of the switch pointoperating bar D, one end ofthe bar D extending beneath one of the rails of the main track A and is enlarged, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawings. A bell crank lever 1 underlies the terminal fof the extended or outer end of the switch operating rod D and is pivoted to a suitable support, not shown, at a point 2, and is further pivoted, at the point of juncture between the arms of the bell crank lever, to the under side of the outer terminal of the bar D by vmeans of a pivot pin 3. The terminals of the arms of the bell crank lever are pivoted, respectively, to movable rods, designated 4Y and 5, which extend in opposite directions. The rod 4 has that end opposite the one having connection with the bell crank lever 1 bent laterally and received by a slot 6 formed inv a link '7., the terminal of the bent end of the rod 4 being provided with a disk 8 so as to prevent disconnection of the rodl from the link 7. A bracket 8 is secured Vto adjacent ties at one side 'of one of the rails of the main track, and a lever 9 has pivotal connection with the bracket 8 by means of a pin 10, and the lower end of the lever 9 has pivotal connection with the rear end of the link 7 by means of a pivot pinV 11. A suitable guide 12 is connected to the bracket 8 and slidably receives the link 7 and serves to prevent any lateral strain from disconnecting the link 7 from the-lever 9. The rod 5 extends in parallelismwith one of the rails of the siding B, and has that end opposite the one which has connection with the bell crank lever 1 bent laterally and received by a slot 13 formed in a link member 14,v which is identical with the link 7 and has connection with the rod 4. A disk 15, similar to the disk S, is connected to the terminal of the bent end of the rod 5 and serves to pre# vent disconnection of the rod 5 from the link 14.v A bracketV 16, similar in construction to the bracket 8, is mounted adjacent that rail of the siding which extends parallel with the rod 5, and a lever 17 has pivotal connection, as a't'18, with the bracket 16, and has its lower end pivotally connected to the rear end of the link 14 by means of a pivot pin 19.` -Apguide 20, similar to the guide 12, is secured to the bracket 16 and slidablyV receives the link 13 and servesto preventany outward movement from disconnecting the link V14 from the lever 17. The levers 9 and l17 extend at substantially acute angles to each other,`and when either lever is moved yfrom the vertical to an inclined position, the other lever will bemovcd from an inclined position to the` vertical.

.Vhenthe lever 9 assumes the position shown inFig. 2, the switch points will be in thel in the s in the path of the lever 9.

position shown in Fig. 1 so asto admit of passage of a train past the switch and along the main line A. 1n Fig. 6 of the drawings is shown a portion of a car body having one side provided with a pair of laterally exthe positions shown in Fig. 1, the finger 27 will be received by the notch 25, so as to pre-V vent the rod 'D from being accidentally moved, and when Athe switch points are in the position where they communicate the tending brackets 21, arranged in spaced 'ref-main line A vith the siding B, the finger 27 lation and one above the other. A vertical sliding shaft 22 extends through the bracket 21 and has its upper end extended laterally, as at and project-ed through an opening :ide of the car body. The lower end of the shaft 22 is also extended laterally, and outwardly, and has a roller 24 journaled thereon. The laterally extending terminal 23 of the shaft 22 serves as a handle bv means of which the shaft 22 may be slid upwardly to raise the roller 24. Assuming that a train is approaching the switch, in

the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and it is desired to switch theY train from the main line A onto the siding B, the shaft 22 is moved downwardly so vas to lower thek roller 24, and when the roller 24is thus lowered, the same will lie When the train reaches the point where the roller 24 will engage the lever 9, the said lever 9 will be moved forwardly and cause the lower end thereof to be moved rearwardly so as to exert a pull on the link 7, which in turn will exert a pull on the rod 4 and rock the bell crank lever in the direction so as to cause inward movement of the switch operating rod D so as to move the switch points C from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position wherein they will communicate the main track A with the siding B, so asto admit of the train passing from the main track into the siding. It will, of course, be understood that operating mechanism, such as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, will be located at the respective ends of the train. During the movementI of the bell crank lever l, to cause the switch points C to communicate the main line and the siding, the rod will be moved inthe direction of the bracket 16, and etliect movement of the link 14, so as to rock the lever 17 from an in- Y clined position to a vertical position. When the t 1ain moves along the siding, the operating mechanism at the .end thereof will engage the lever 17 and rock the same from a vertical to an inclined position, thereby causing' the rod 17 to be moved in thedirection ot lthe switch operating bar D andY rock the bell crank lever in the direction to cause outward movement of the bar D, so as to return the switch point C to the position shown in Fig. 1, and cut off communication between the lmain line A and the siding B.

The outer end of the rod D has its upper( side provided with a pair of spaced notches 25 andr26, adapted toalternately receive the lower endv or" a vertically disposed locking Enger 27. "When the switch points C arein will be received by the notch 26, so as to prevent movement ofthe rod D. The finger 27 is carried by a horizontally disposed arm 28, which is pivotally mounted between a pair of brackets 29, lying on opposite sides of the outer end of the rod D. A pair of rocking elements 30 and 31 are located, respectively, on opposite sides of the rod D, and each includes a pair of vertical arms 32 and 33 and a horizontally extending portion 34 :for connecting the arms 32 and 33 to each other. The connecting portions 34 of the elements 30 and 31 are ournaled in bearings 35, and the free endsoi the arms32are terminally provided with eyes 36, which engage over laterally extendingpins 37 carried by the -nger 27, the ireevend'of each pin 37 being terminally provided with a head38 adapted to prevent disconnection of the arms 32 from the pin 37. The arms 33 ot' the elements 30 and V31 are, respectively, .connected to the inner ends of rods 39 and 40, which extend in parallelism with the rods -1- and 5, and the cuter ends ofthe rods 39 and 40 are, respectively, extended between the brackets 8 and 16 and the adjacent rails or' the main track A and the siding B.

A repressible element, designated as an entirety by the numeral 41, is located opposite the bracket S and is positioned within the main track A and slidably engages the inner surface of that rail located adjacent the bracket S. ment, designated as an entirety by the numeral 42, isl'inourited within the sidingB and apposite the bracket 16 and slidably engages the inner face of that rail adjacent the bracket 16. 41 and are identical in construction, and a description of one will be sutlicient. Each of the depressible elements includes a block V43 mounted on a pair o1 springs 44, which A similar depressible eleare suitably secured to adjacent ties, and

each block has its outer side provided with a pair of pins 45, which are slidably received by vertical slots 46 formedin the vertical arms of l. shaped brackets 47 mounted on the adjacent ties.V A vertically disposed link 48 has its upper end pivoted to the outer sideY of the block 43, at a point between the pins 45, and its lower end eX- tends between adjacent ties, as shown in Fig. A shaft 49 is journaled in bearings secured to one of the ties between which they lower end of thelink 48 extends, and the said shaft extends beneath the adjacent rail. The inner end of the shaft 49 is extended laterally, as shown at 50, and connectedto gea the lower end of the link 48, and the outer end of the shaft 49 is extended vertically, as shown at 51. The outer ends of the rods 39 and 40 are terminally provided with eyes, which receive the vertical portion 51 of the shaft 49 of adjacent depressible elements, the upper ends of the vertical portion 51 of the shaft 49 being provided with heads 52, which prevent the accidental disconnection of the rods 39 and 40 from the shaft. IVhen it is desired to switch a train approaching the switch 3, from the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. l, onto the siding B, the shaft 22 is lowered, as previously described, so as to position the roller'24 in the path of the lever 9. `When the train approaches the depressible element 4l the wheels on one side of the forward truck of the forward car will engage the block 43 of the depressible element 4l and cause the block to descend. This downward movement of the block 43 will cause the link 48 to rock the horizontal portion 50, of the shaft 49, downwardly, and rock the shaft 49 in the direc tion where the vertical portion lwill exert a pull on the rod 39, thereby rocking the element 3l and effecting withdrawal of the finger 27 from the notch 25. Simultaneously with the withdrawal of the finger 27 from the notch 25, the roller 24 will engage the lever 9 and rock the same forwardly so as to move the switch points C from the position shown in F ig. l to the positions where they will establish communication between the main line A and the siding B. `When the block 43 is released, the springs 44 will move the block upwardly and cause rotation of the shaft 49 in the opposite direction so as to move the rod S9 in the direction of the rod D and effect an engagement of the finger 27 within the notch 26, so as to lock the rod against movement. Vhen the train enters the siding B the wheels of the forward truck will engage the block 43 of the depressible element 42 and move the same downwardly, and cause a pull to be exerted on the rod 40, so as to release the finger 27 from the notch 26, and simultaneously with the release of the linger 27 from the notch 26, the roller 24 will engage the member 17 and move the same from the vertical position to the inclined position shown in Fig. 2, thereby effecting outward movement of the rod D so as to move the switch points to the position where communication will be cut off between the main line A and the siding B.

It will of course be understood that various changes might be resorted to Vin the construction, form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the structure herein described and claimed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new, is: v

1. In a train actuated railway switch, the combination with the switch operating rod, of a locking element for the rod, and train actuated releasing mechanism for the locking element consisting of a depressible block, and means for 'connecting the block to the locking element and adapted to effect release of the locking element upon depression of the block and to effect engagement between the locking element and the switch operating rod upon the return of the block to normal position.

.2. In a train actuated railway switch, the combination with a switch operating rod and a locking element therefor, of a pair o brackets, a depressible block supported by the brackets, a rotatable shaft operable by the depressible block, and means for connecting the shaft to the locking element whereby to effect movement of the locking element to inoperative position upon the depression of the block.

3. In a railway switch, the combination with the switch operating rod; of a bell crank lever pivotally connected to the rod; a pair of pivoted levers disposed, respectively, on opposite sides of the switch operating rod; connections between the pivoted levers and the arms of the bell crank lever, whereby toy effect movement of the Vswitch operating rod in one direction when one of the levers is operated and to effect movement of the switch operating rod in the other direction when the other lever is operated; a locking element engaging the switch operating rod; and means for simultaneously withdrawing the locking element from engagement with the switch operating rod upon the operation of either of the levers, so as to admit of the switch, operating rod being operated. l

In testimony whereof I afhx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GARNET SPENCER. Witnesses:

J. D. HULL, J. M. SPENCER.

Copies of 'this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. C. 

